North East businesses and groups are being invited to deploy their best bakers and builders to take part in Gingerbread Street 2025 – the festive competition supporting homeless charity Oasis Community Housing. The biscuity buildings will be judged by experts from Greggs, Lovell Homes, RIBA’s North East Council and TV’s Steph McGovern at The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle, on 2 December.
Gingerbread Street returns after last year’s success, which saw entries of gingerbread houses, a church, factories and other community buildings – even a skate park. All of the confectionary creations will be placed together to make up a miniature Gingerbread Street, which will remain at The Biscuit Factory as a free exhibition until 4 January 2026.
This year’s judging panel includes TV presenter Steph McGovern, Greggs CEO Roisin Currie, Lovell Homes’ Director of Land and Partnerships Phil Jones, and RIBA North-East Co-Chair Crace Choi who will select the winning creations at an exclusive judging event on 2 December 2025. Exhibition visitors will also have the chance to vote for their favourite in the People’s Choice Award.
North-East born Steph McGovern – perhaps best known for ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’ and BBC Breakfast – won the title of Young Engineer for Britain aged 19, after saving Black & Decker money on a design she created for their Leaf Hog product. Steph is also a mentor for young people in Teesside and regularly runs workshops for schoolchildren around the North East.
Also joining this year’s judging panel is Grace Choi, an architect and RIBA North East Co Chair. Grace is currently director of Grace Choi Architecture, a value-led design orientated practice focussing on communities and homes in the North East. Grace moves to the judging panel after kindly supporting Gingerbread Street from behind the scenes in 2024.
The Gingerbread Street competition is now accepting entries, with applications closing on 19 November 2025. Businesses can ‘buy’ a large, medium or small plot with all donations going towards Oasis Community Housing’s ‘Giving a Home’ Christmas Appeal.
Plot sizes range from £500 to £1,000. Entry fees should be paid in following the judging event, during Big Give Week (2-9 December), when all donations to the charity’s Christmas Appeal are being doubled thanks to match-funding pledges.
Submit your Gingerbread Street entry >
Last year was Gingerbread Street’s inaugural year and saw judges announce the winners as: Ben Hoare Bell LLP, Bowmer + Kirland, and Evelyn Partners financial services. Their buildings included ‘The Courthouse’ (Ben Hoare Bell LLP); ‘Frank’s Place’ (Bowmer + Kirkland); and ‘The Evelyn Project Food Bank & Community Garden’ (Evelyn Partners financial services).
Judges also gave ‘Callerton Gingerbread Academy’ – a group effort from Callerton Academy Year 10 Pupils, Space Architects and Morgan Sindall construction services – the Community Champion Award.
Sarah Lister, CEO of Oasis Community Housing, said:
“Gingerbread Street is about more than baking – it’s about bringing the community together and showing that everyone deserves a safe, supportive place to call home. We can’t wait to see the creativity on display, while raising vital funds to support people facing homelessness this Christmas.”
For more information about Gingerbread Street or to enter, contact Sophie Barker on 07736 994331 or visit oasiscommunityhousing.org/gingerbreadstreet